ABSTRACT
AIMS: Recent investigations have shown that amoxycillin possesses gastric protection properties in addition to its known antimicrobial effects. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the potential gastric protection effects of amoxycillin and to determine its possible mechanism(s) of action in rats. METHODS: The cold restraint stress model was used to produce gastric mucosal lesions. The gastric secretion studies were undertaken by using Shay's pylorus ligation technique. The antioxidant effect was studied by luminol dependent chemiluminescence technique in vitro. RESULTS: Amoxycillin dose-dependently prevented cold restraint stress-induced mucus depletion and afforded protection. It inhibited indomethacin-stimulated gastric acid secretion with a high dose without affecting basal secretion. Furthermore, amoxycillin dose-dependently inhibited the phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence responses of isolated human poylmorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that mechanisms of gastric protection effects of amoxycillin may include inhibition of stimulated acid secretion, prevention of depletion of mucus and antioxidant properties.